edIT

The British imprint Planet Mu has had a number of notable hits in recent times from the likes of Hrvatski, 000, dDamage, Leafcutter John and label head Mike Paradinas, among others, and their distinct ear for some of the catchiest, most enjoyable electronic based music in the current scene is once again well-represented by the debut from Ed Ma’s edIT project. Crying Over Pros for No Reason features a lot of the cut-and-paste trickery exhibited by Prefuse 73, Machine Drum and others, though edIT’s compositions feature an often thrilling style of beat manipulation that might seem random if it weren’t so steeped in calculated panache. Background elements of acoustic guitar (the primary melodic element), violin, and other ubiquitous sounds are given fresh context amidst edIT’s staccato arrangements, while maintaining the emotive aspects of the source samples – a sense of melancholy is the common thread in most tracks, as though Rachel’s or Classical Gas were thrown in an unusually rhythmic blender. “Ants” is a fine example of this, as a wandering guitar line in 3/4 is underscored by an absolutely manic 4/4 cut-up track that becomes neither too stale nor too indulgently flashy. The only issue that one might take with Crying is the fact that it maintains more or less the same head-nodding tempo and exhibits approximately the same ideas throughout, with just enough variation between each track for distinction. With a perfectly digestible running time of 40 minutes, however, edIT’s debut is an excellent showcase of immense promise, especially when he sacrifices the DSP for a bit more ambience and stylistic deviation. Perfect for an afternoon’s drive or a walk around town on a cloudy day, Crying Over Pros for No Reason is a captivating display of a possessed sorrow.